Gray fleece, solid color with shading allowed, no distinct patterns or spotting. Fleece color ranges from light silver to dark charcoal. Head and legs are generally solid black. Lamb birth coat is black, becoming gray within several months. Small white markings on head, legs and tail are accepted but discouraged.

Fleece is fine, long, lustrous and dense with clearly defined curl and staple, soft to the touch. It is typically 29 to 34 microns in diameter at 18 months of age, as measured midside at the last rib. Lambs wool is typically in the low to mid 20’s micron range.

Solid colored head generally free from wool. Bold eyes, alert medium sized ears set slightly above horizontal. Small, neat and straight muzzle with even jaw and teeth set squarely on the pad. Both males and females are generally and preferably polled.

Shetlands are one of the smallest of the British sheep. Rams usually weigh 90 to 125 pounds and ewes about 75 to 100 pounds. Rams usually have beautiful spiral horns, whereas the ewes are typically polled. They are fine-boned and agile and their naturally short, fluke-shaped tails do not require docking.

Shetland sheep can show almost all possible sheep colours and patterns, although solid white and solid moorit (reddish brown) are most common. Over thirty different coat patterns are recognised, many of which can occur in combination.

Shetland wool is some of the finest among the UK breeds. It is soft, yet strong and durable, and is a delight to spin. Traditionally, the finest of the Shetland yarns, spun from selected neck wool, were knit into lace shawls so fine they could be drawn through a wedding ring!

A spinner’s dream, dramatically colored and patterned Shetland ram lambs on green pastures. These lambs may have their colors fade with age… or they may retain their dramatic coloring. Shetlands are one of the few breeds that can produce a true black fleece. This black is so dramatic it requires no overdying.

Border Leicester wool is long enough that they can be sheared once or twice a year. The clean head and legs makes them an easy to shear breed. Ewes average 8-12 lbs of wool annually.

About River Bend Farm

WE ARE NOW THE LARGEST BREEDER OF GOTLANDS ON THE EAST COAST

Our search for a perfect farm landed us here. River Bend is 100+ year old 10+ acre Preserved Farm in Farmingdale, New Jersey. With our open door policy we get lots of visitors!

Our Sheep are shown three times a year. At Maryland Sheep & wool in May, Garden state sheep & wool in Sept, and Rhinebeck sheep and wool in October. River Bend Farm does very well, winning 1st or 2nd place ribbons: perfect venues for seeing and buying the River Bend Farm sheep.read more...

About our Wonderful Breeds

The Gotland Pelt sheep or modern Gotland has been developed in Sweden since the 1920s through controlled breeding and intensive selection producing a true multipurpose long wool sheep, yielding well-flavored close-grained meat, furskins and soft, silky, lustrous fleece. read more...

Shetland sheep’s roots go back more than 1,000 years, probably to sheep brought to the Shetland Islands by Vikings. They belong to the Northern European short-tailed group, which also contains the Finnsheep, Norwegian Spaelsau, Icelandics, and others. read more...

Current Specials

Gotland Sheep Pelts—Pelts are prized worldwide.
Gotland Wool—Beautiful, lustrous, long curly fiber excellent for spinning and a favorite for felting.
Gotland Meat—Mild and with good flavor..